speedily receptacle; fig. -1 the stipe or stalk of the pistil; 
fig- 8 the fruit with the remains of the stigma 
at its summit. The seeds ripen while yet the 
pod is green, and it is amusing to gather them, 
so easily do they, with the valves of tho pods, 
separate and fall into the closed hand leaving 
f _. ... 
shows what remains of tho flowers after frost. 
If fertilized, which depends always either upon 
wind or insects, tho pistil continues to grow until 
at maturity the fruit and stipe are fully six in¬ 
ches in length. Lato in tho season tho plant 
attains a hight of five feet, the main stem 
measuring five or moro inches iri eircumforonce 
at the ground, throwing out laterals a few 
inches above, which themselves soon branch 
again, all curving upward and forming a large 
bush, every branch of which is clothed with 
flowers and fruit. 
To avoid all misapprehensions, lotus repeat: 
An envelope containing fivo packets of the 
above varieties of seeds will be forwarded froe to 
our subscribers 
winter decoration in a dried state, but these 
few notes will rofor to a few sorts which are 
ornamental when growing as garden decorative 
plants and also when the flower steins are 
dried for house decoration in winter, 
- —« One of tho most handsome Is the well-known 
, ' the lflaconttp of the frmt as at fig. 8. Fig. 10 Pampas grass, or Gyneriuin argontemu. the tall 
------ silvery plumes of whioh are very fine, when 
upon growing with a background of dark-folWorl 
piaui irom me first true leavos until severe 
frosts. A rich, well-decomposed soil is all it 
requires. 
5th. Cleome spin os a. —(or pungens.) This 
is a singular and an interesting plant to all un¬ 
familiar with it. Tho sketch taken from a 
plant in the Rural Grounds, though drawn 
not until after two frosts, will convey a correct 
idea of its general appearance. The seeds 
germinate most readily, and started in the house 
iu early spring or in a cold frame, will commence 
blooming in .June, and continue without any 
interruption, until heavy frosts. The rachis of 
inflorescence all the while lengthens until at the 
end of the soasou it is often a yard in length. 
The leaves or bracts, of this flowering Btalk are 
simply heart-shaped and sessile, forming, as the 
engraving shows, a perfect wreath of green 
leaves. The true leaf is shown at fig. G, re¬ 
sembling that of a horse-chestnut, and consist¬ 
ing of about seven ovate leaflets. No. 1 shows 
the flower a little reduced in size. It is in the 
bud a deep rose-purple, changing as it opens I 
AN ANNOUNCEMENT 
Rubai, Grounds, 
As stated in our issue Oct., G, page 224, we 
have colleoted a large quantity of seeds of sev¬ 
eral different plants for distribution among 
those of onr subscribers who may desire them. 
Tho plants are described in brief below. 
Wo beg the careful attention of our friends 
to tho following particulars1st. In previous 
offers of this kind, wo have requested from the 
applicants an addressed and 
stamped envelope. 
In the present offer we request only the appli¬ 
cant’s address on a card, written in full and as 
plainly as possible. The cost to the applicant, 
therefore, will be only the postal card upon 
which his or her address is written. 
2nd. We are constrained to limit this seed 
distribution to those of our subscribers whoso 
names are upon our lists. 
3rd. It has been our aim to collect seods 
enough to supply a majority of our subscribers. 
Should we find that moro applications are re¬ 
ceived than we have counted upon, due notice 
will be given in this department. Subject to 
the above qualification, the offer will remain 
open until the 1st. of Jauuary. Orders will 
be filed and filled iu tho order of their receipt. 
1st. Pelargonium. 
—(Geranium). A ma¬ 
jority of those seeds 
have been saved from, 
or crossed with, double 
flowers. A considera¬ 
ble proportion may be 
relied upon, therefore, 
to produce double or 
semi-double flowers. 
2nd. Shell Flower 
—(Molucoella La-vis) 
Little need be said of 
this in addition to what 
has already been said. 
In our issue of Aug. 19, 
last year, a portrait of 
the plant was pub¬ 
lished, as well as all 
needed details of cul- 
tare, This portrait we 
reproduce since it is 
next to impossible to 
give tho reader a cor- 
rect idea of its pecu- • 
liar habit aud inflores¬ 
cence by any written de 
scription. (Page.309.) 
3rd. Dioscorba bat¬ 
atas. — This Chinese 
Yam resembles the Ma¬ 
deira Vine in appear- . 
ance, though quite dif- / 
ferent in all essential / 
respects. The roots h 
are long aud farinaee- 
ous, growing deeply in 
the ground and per- 
fectly hardy. The vine ill ' 
makes a very rapid f ([ 
growth. Referring to I j 
notes made at the \ \ 
time, we find 4 ‘ June 12, \ • \ 
eleven feet high with- | i 
out a single leaf. The J/ 
stem resembles a pur¬ 
ple rope.” We marked 
it and ascertained its 
growth in 24 ho ore to 
be eight inches. At 
this time, If the end is 
pinched off, it at once 
forms laterals and 
spreads over a conaid- 
erable area. Bulblets 
are formed in the ax- 
ils, which grow very 
readily, and it is these 
we offer our frieuds. 
4th. Ricinus Gib- 
boni.—W e deem this 
new Ricinus, one of ^ 00 
the most beautiful fo- 
liage plants in cultiva- _ 
tion. It differs from t^^****^ 
other varieties in this 
one important respect: 
the leaves are of a 
shiny, deep, purple 
color, and being large 
(a foot or more iu di¬ 
ameter) and sharply 
cleft, they present a 
peculiar phase of beau¬ 
ty that rivets the eye 
of every observer. No 
other plant has given 
us more pleasure than 
this during the past 
upon the receipt of a postal 
card with the sender’s full address plainly 
written thereon. 
a development not often seen in a less favored 
climate. In Devonshire, in England, and in 
Ireland one plant will have as muiy as one 
hundred flower atoms in which condition tho 
effoct is grand. In this elimato we cannot 
expect to equal that, but by sotting large, 
strong plants, using rich soil and giving abund¬ 
ance of water when 
growing, fine plants 
can be produced. 
As tho plants are 
usually propagated 
from seed, there incon¬ 
siderable variation, es¬ 
pecially in the size of 
the plumes. During 
the flowering season, 1 
select tho best and d.ifif'" 
card the others. gome 
of the European seeds¬ 
men hav'o noticed this 
variation, and selecting 
plants with brown-tint- 
°d plumos, have saved 
the seed aud sold it at 
an increased price, af¬ 
ter giving it a long 
name and describing it. 
as a red-flowered va¬ 
riety. I have not seen 
even the brown color 
^ come generally among 
such seedlings, aud if 
it did so, it would be 
no improvement, tho 
^ silver plumes being 
more ornamental than 
any other color. Speak¬ 
ing of color, I must 
protost against tho bad 
taste of dyeing this and 
othor grasses bright 
blue and other equally 
outrageous hues. 
This, and all othor 
grasses, should be 
gathered before the 
seeds are full-grown; 
for if left until the 
seed is ripe, they soon 
fall to pieces, their 
beauty is spoiled and 
everything is covered 
with light particles. 
When gathered, it 
Should be quite dry 
and the atoms placed 
loosely in jars or empty 
flower pots, in a dry 
room; if made into 
close bundles or hur¬ 
riedly dried, tho nat¬ 
ural shape is destroyed 
and it looks stiff and 
deformed. This espe¬ 
cially refers to such 
sfg gS p subjects as the Eulalia 
mentioned below, 
whioh only shows its 
full beauty in a very 
dry place. 
Eulalia Japonica va- 
riogata is one of Mr. 
IIogo’s recent intro¬ 
ductions from Japan, 
and one of the most 
charming, hardy plants 
ever introduced. Its 
habit of growth is in¬ 
termediate between the 
old ribbon grass and 
the variegated Arun- 
do; the foliage is or¬ 
namental, every leaf 
being nicely striped 
with white; but the 
ORNAMENTAL GRASS FOR DECORATIVE 
PURPOSES. 
BY iIAMES TALLIN. 
There are many species of the above, both 
wild and cultivated, moro or less beautiful for 
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